• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, April 27, 2015

That’s more or less what T.J Hunter, Director of Digital Marketing, Rosetta Stone, told Mobile Insider Summit attendees this morning during an opening keynote illustrating how the language education service embraced a mobile app strategy and gained tremendous lift as a result. In fact, Rosetta Stone’s app downloads are up 200% year-over-year. That’s especially impression, when you consider that unlike a lot of mobile apps -- like games -- that are free, Rosetta Stone markets a premium service.

Hunter said that’s largely a function of the fact that consumers will pay to download products that are educational or increase their productivity.

While the free vs. pay model may be somewhat unique to his category, one thing Hunter said is universal to all brands now, is they have to have an app strategy in order to be successful..

“If you’re going to want to figure out how to translate your brand to consumers, you’re going ot have to do it on a mobile app,” Hunter asserted.